As we welcome the new year, many of you are still unwrapping your gifts and bringing nice, new electronics and valuables into your home. Some of you are either returning home after the winter break or have decided to take advantage of post-holiday travel sales to go on vacation. Whatever your plans may be to welcome the new year, I know that you want to remain safe.
I want to emphasize the importance of remaining vigilant, especially right after the holidays. Do not allow the use of social media to increase your chances of victimization. Holiday-related social media posts can be used by criminals as advertisement about your new valuables, what you are doing, where you are going and how long you will be away. Even though most people keep a close circle of friends on social medial to exchange information with, that circle is frequently expanded without your knowledge – hence “Social Media.”
Remember that the pictures you post reach beyond your family and circle of friends. It may be your intention to keep your information private, but your friends may re-post your information to their friends, and their friends send it their friends. Before you know it, a person with the wrong intentions can figure out enough about you to pay you an unexpected and unwanted visit. You may want to scroll through your social media feeds and take note of the number of people following your posts.
You should also exercise extreme caution if an unknown person knocks on your door. After reading your posts on social media, a burglar may want to approach their victims’ homes to look inside before attempting a break-in. It is a bold-sounding strategy, but this technique helps burglars accomplish a couple of things:
- It gives a thief a layout of the house they want to burglarize, in the event they break in at night while the victims are sleeping.
- It allows the thief to see where valuables, such as televisions and other electronics, are placed inside the house to make it easier when they break and make a quick, undetected exit.
We hope that you enjoyed your holidays and that this new year brings you happiness, good health, and above all, that you remain safe and secure.
As usual, I encourage you to report suspicious persons, vehicles, packages or activities. If something looks like it is out of place or makes you feel uncomfortable, immediately report it to the police. “If you See Something Say Something."
Do you have what it takes to wear the badge?
The Lauderhill Police Department is looking for qualified members of our community to become a police officer. If you have the courage and the commitment to serve, then we want you to join our team! You can find information on the hiring process by going to the City website and click on the "Become a Police Officer" at the top of the page.
